


Birds of a Feather (Apocalypse AU)

by aspen (aspenhastheears)



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Gen, Zombie Apocalypse, be gay do crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspenhastheears/pseuds/aspen
Summary: As a disturbing virus has spread across the world, a few groups of teens make their way through the remnants of their homes, attempting to survive and find their friends and family.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	1. Family Ties (Kor)

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly, thank you for reading! This project has been in the works for a month now with the help of a few close friends. I’m excited to share my ideas with you all!
> 
> Some notes about this storyline:  
> This storyline is based off of interactions between individuals on a public discord server. These are real people, so please be respectful of them and their wishes.  
> I will not be shipping anyone in this storyline. These are all real people and I will not be shipping anyone without their permission.  
> I will also not be writing any smut. I’m not comfortable with it, and please avoid bringing it up.  
> TRIGGER WARNINGS! There will be subjects that will be triggering throughout this fic due to an abundance of angst. I will try to put the warnings at the top of every chapter that they have them in, so please read carefully. Some warnings may include cursing, gore, blood, injury, death, trauma, and suicide.  
> I am always open to constructive criticism. Please let me know if you notice any grammatical errors or incorrect sentence structure, or have any suggestions about the plot or other aspects of the storyline.
> 
> Last, but not least, I would like to thank the people who helped me write this.
> 
> Salmon-nii  
> Twitter: salm0n_ii  
> Insta: salmonii_art  
> YouTube: salmonii
> 
> Hg (aka Uncle Mercury)  
> AO3: @Hg80
> 
> Thank you again for reading, and let’s get started!

**TW: cursing, blood**

A figure peered over the horizon as the sun set. Setting his bag down by the trunk of an old oak tree, he wiped the sweat off of his face with a dirty rag as he squinted at the orange clouds. He had been walking for miles, trying to put distance between himself and the city, and his legs had almost given out from exhaustion. 

Sighing heavily, he knelt down and began rummaging through his bag. A small black flashlight, a metal water bottle, a few bags of chips, a blue heavy jacket. He shook the water bottle, and a few drops of liquid sloshed around inside. He would need to look for water and food in the morning, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened just that morning.

Shaking the screams and the smell of freshly-spilled blood out of his head, he stood up slowly, but felt a hand press down on his shoulder. He jumped and turned around, hands raised-

“Hey Kory- Whoa! Calm down, it’s just me,” Zii stuttered, backing away with his hands raised, startled by Kor’s sudden reaction. Kor took a deep breath and lowered his hands as he recognized his friend’s curly black hair.

Kor’s heart was still racing as he swore, “fucking hell Zii! You’re going to kill me one of these days.”

Zii smiled hesitantly as he squinted against the sun, “hey, that’s what I’m here for, right?” 

Kor punched Zii in the shoulder playfully, and he flinched backwards, making a face and falling to the ground clutching his arm. 

“Kory how could you do this to me… I thought we were friends- oh the painnnnn,” he groaned while peaking through an eye to see Kor’s reaction.

Kor raised an eyebrow as he watched his friend writhe on the ground. Arms crossed, he cracked a smile. Zii looked up, started to smile, and they both broke into laughter. Kor reached out to the tree to keep himself from falling over as Zii cackled, still rolling on the ground. For a moment, everything was as it had been just a week prior.

Kor, still shaking from laughter, held his hand out to Zii, hauling him up from the ground. Dusting off his friend’s neon green hoodie, Kor was once again reminded that he was one measly inch shorter than his friend. Still chuckling, he shoved himself away to grab his bag from the ground, but a thought came to his head.

“Zii, where are we going to sleep? We can’t keep walking like we’ve been doing all day, and we can’t sleep on the ground.” Kor began pacing back and forth, his heart beginning to hum as he thought about what had swept the world just a week prior.

Zii leaned against an oak tree, smirking; “Hey Kory, remember when we used to climb trees when we were in elementary school?”

Kor slapped him on the back as he began putting his bag on his back. “Zii, you’re a fucking genius, you know that?”

Zii grinned back at him as he began to climb the oak. They had climbed trees together before, and they didn’t usually fall off. Usually.

Kor shuffled his way up the tree, hauling himself up to one of the tallest branches. He swung his legs over the side of the branch, watching as Zii slowly made his way up next to him, muttering as he hugged each branch on the way.

The sun had just passed the horizon, coloring the clouds a dark orange as the sky began to shift. Zii sat down next to Kor, sending him an annoyed glance for not helping him climb the oak. Kor stared at the clouds, lost in the pain of the day. His mind shifted to the darkening twilight, and the times he spent running through fields chasing fireflies in the evening with his sister. 

_You’ll come back, right Stella?_

A bird trilled in the dusk. Kor sighed sadly and turned to Zii. “Well, better hope we don’t fall when we’re sleeping. I would hate to see you be shorter than me for once.”

“That would only happen if I didn’t shove you off first,” Zii smirked as he pulled his hood over his head.

Kor closed his eyes, thinking. The pain of leaving his family was just as raw as it had been earlier, balling up in his chest and stomach, making it hard to breathe. He shut his eyes tighter, forcing the images that haunted his vision to vanish into the dark night. 

They were fast asleep before the smell of rotted flesh wafted through the forest, shuffling feet and moaning lurking slowly behind.


	2. R U N (Stella)

**TW: cursing, blood, injury, gore**

Stella gasped as she turned around a corner, her blood-stained body pushing against the wall of the alleyway, soiling the smooth, white surface with a dark red tint. Her blue eyes frantic, she searched for an exit, but only found an old emergency fire escape in the dead end. Glancing behind her, she jumped and grabbed the lower rung.

Hauling herself up onto the bottom ladder, Stella reached out to the rough brick wall for balance as the structure creaked and moaned. She silently swore; she wasn’t even that heavy. At just over 5’ 1” (155 cm), she had barely been able to reach the fire escape in the first place.

Wincing as the metal groaned and shook, she slowly started climbing the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. She wiped a strand of hair away from her eyes, staining her cheek with a streak of crimson. But Stella didn’t care - she was running for her life, nothing else mattered but escaping.

She climbed another flight, but her heart skipped a beat when she caught a flick of movement in the alley entrance. Her vision was too blurry- too hazy with stress and panic; her mind contained nothing but a cry for help and release, praying that this particular silhouette was nothing but a rat or bird.

Until Stella's eyes focused.

She froze as a figure lumbered into the alley.

_ Black hair, gray skin, paired with those trademark glassy eyes that harbored no soul _ . She couldn’t tear her eyes away as it stopped suddenly by the edge of the dumpster. It opened its mouth, turning towards the smear of red slowly dripping down the wall and gradually turned to face her. Stella cringed, a shiver running down her spine, as the figure let out an ear splitting moan, lunging aggressively down into the alley with its rotten, unhinged jaw hanging from the rest of its mouth.

“FUCK!” Stella yelped and started bounding up the stairs two at a time. They clattered angrily in protest, but Stella could only focus on the two more figures that had lumbered into the shadows as they let out shrill moans of their own. Their lanky, noodle-like arms swung aggressively from their shoulder blades, and their twisted legs seemed to have more stamina than those of most track and field athletes.

Reaching the top of the fire escape, she looked down, watching the three figures jostling each other and moaning at the bottom of the fire escape, scratching decomposed skin off each other's faces and arms.

The blond wore a sly smirk on her face as she huffed in triumph, “See ya later fuckers,” Stella muttered as she climbed onto the roof of the building, kicking the fire escape. Surprisingly, the rusted bolts at the top gave out, crumpling the metal plates to the ground with a loud clang. Stella winced, knowing that she had just broadcast her location to the surrounding 5 blocks.

But she had to get home. Running her hands through her hair, she swore as she remembered the blood on her arms and hands. Pulling her curly hair to look at it, she realized that the red streaks would be nearly impossible to get rid of without soap. Grabbing a hair tie, she put it up in a messy ponytail. That would keep its annoying curls out of her face at least.

Stella took a deep breath, but almost immediately regretted it. The smell of rotting flesh filled her mouth and made her gag. The stink curled around the city, invading every crook and crevice with its decay and rot.

She covered her mouth and nose with a green bandana she found in a shop, tying it around the back of her neck with an angry tug. She needed to keep moving, or she would never get there in time.

She launched herself over a gap between buildings, falling through the stale air and rolling onto another flat roof.  _ One block straight, two blocks right, third house on the right _ . Running above the shadows that covered the streets under her, she thanked her parents for encouraging her to take track and field; the endurance she developed was certainly helping her now.

_ My parents _ .  _ My brother _ \-- no, it wasn't the time to think about that. She brushed any thoughts of her family away for the moment, deciding that it was more important to keep her head clear and her decision-making sharp. Stella could think more about the future when she was free of her immediate danger.

Stella jumped onto the last building before the residential area. She surveyed the rows of houses: silent, dark, lifeless. Most of the windows were broken, curtains were torn apart and almost all of the lights were out. Corpses were scattered everywhere-- well, if it weren't for the remaining flesh it would've been considered a skeleton.

She reached into her pocket, grabbing a small dinner knife she had been able to grab from the cafeteria before her school had been... taken.

Stella squinted as she heard a panicked shout from among the houses. A figure dashed out into the street, holding a kitchen knife. Despite the distance, Stella recognized that purple sweatshirt and short brown hair and immediately started climbing down the building, the rough sandpaper wall tearing at her hands until they bled.  _ Just a little more blood added to the mix _ , Stella thought glumly as she reached the ground.

Turning the corner around the back of the building, Stella sprinted down the street towards her friend. “CARLY! Run that way!” Stella yelled as she pointed down the street of houses. 

Carly turned to see her friend barreling down the street towards her, a plastic knife in her hand and frizzy blonde hair flying in the wind. Confused, she momentarily forgot about the danger that was slowly following her from around the back of her house.

Stella watched as her friend stood blankly in the middle of the road watching her approach. “NO YOU FUCKING- RUN!” she screamed again as two pale figures emerged from the shadows, drawing a line of crimson across the sidewalk as their stiff limbs dragged against the pavement. She had to get there in time-

Stella rushed past Carly, grabbing a fistfull of her purple sweatshirt in her hands and yanking her down the street. Carly yelped and stumbled as she started running alongside Stella, noting the blood still running down her hands and the streaks of crimson in her hair. Carly didn't have time to look behind and glanced at Stella as she was immediately greeted by a petrified face, red liquid steadily dripping from her forehead. The brunette opened her mouth, meaning to ask questions, but was interrupted by the desolate moans of the zombies trailing behind them. A chord of fear struck her heart, filling her with adrenaline and pushing her to run faster, keeping pace with the only friend she found next to her as they ran into the darkness.


	3. Falling, in Style (Ace)

**TW: cursing**

The plane shook as it passed through a blur of pink and orange tinted clouds. Sunset was Ace’s favorite time of day, and flying through the golden colors of sunset was no exception. They leaned around the person resting in the seat next to them, occasionally attempting to 'stretch' their neck as they tried to peek out of the window. 

_I was supposed to be on the goddamn window seat._

Huffing with a big pout on their face, Ace poked Kole in the arm. “Wake up, I wanna see the clouds and you’re blocking it, you tall motherfucker,” Ace hissed as they poked Kole’s arm again. This time, aggressively.

Kole grumbled and opened an eye, glaring at Ace. “Move your head idiot,” she whispered before turning back, pressing her back against the rear end of the seat so Ace had a better view.

Ace stuck her tongue out at Kole as they wiggled closer to the window. The contrast between the soft edges of the clouds and the bright glow of the setting sun were truly magnificent. Ace clucked their tongue appreciatively, their hands itching to color in the scene in their mind.

After taking a mental picture, Ace settled back into their seat, sighing contentedly. They always loved the rich glow of the sun, how it lit up the world during the day and the moon at night. Ace frowned as they felt their stomach rumble unhappily. It seemed to be pestering them for spaghetti: _spaghetti, you want spaghetti; doesn’t spaghetti sound delicious? Don’t you want to eat some spaghetti?_

Ace pushed away their stomach as a flight attendant walked down the aisle with dinner trays, handing them out to the ravenous students in each aisle. Ace grabbed two, thanking the attendant copiously.

Ace looked down at her food as they handed one to Kole, who immediately sat up and put down her tray table. A splatter of gravy covered a pathetically small scoop of brown rice; a clearly-burnt piece of chicken sat crowded next to a helping of canned corn. Ace’s disgust was forgotten as their stomach let out an angry grumble, and they began shoveling the drab mess into their mouth.

Kole glanced disdainfully at Ace, who had managed to spray particles of food on both of their seats. “Are you ever going to eat properly?” Kole asked, pushing around the corn in her tray with her spoon. 

“SORHU I CAJUT JEAR YOU,” Ace mumbled loudly through partially-chewed rice and gravy, the gray mess balling up in their mouth. A fleck of brown landed on Kole’s cheek. Ace laughed silently as Kole slowly took her napkin and slowly wiped it off of her face, still staring directly at Ace. Ace yelped as Kole’s balled napkin hit them square in the nose, falling into their lap. 

They both turned back to their food, chatting about the homework they had and how excited they were to visit Vancouver. Their first school trip, Kole’s first time on a plane, and their first time visiting Canada. The entire cabin was abuzz with energy, excited at their chance to visit North America. 

Eventually the buzz died down as the sun fell below the horizon, and the cabin grew darker. People began to rest, grabbing spare jackets and using them as pillows and blankets. Despite the happiness of being on a plane and the anxiety that they had for the next day, Ace slowly fell asleep, drifting through the clouds.

Kole sat, arms rigid, staring straight forward as the cabin became darker. Gripping the armrests, she tried to relax her shoulders and took a deep sigh. _Just her luck that her first plane flight would be so fucking long_. Kole looked over at Ace, who was breathing softly in the seat besides them. As she moved their jacket back over their arms, Kole thought back to the news circling the terminal as they took off. Sudden lockdowns in Europe and Asia, and a surprising military presence at the airport (as Ace pointed out quickly; Kole had never been on a plane before). She shook her head. She’d been looking forward to this trip for a full 9 months, and she was not going to let a few odd observations spoil her one chance to visit the country she had been researching for the last few years.

Kole rubbed her wrist, wincing as she recognized the imprints her fingers made on the arm rest. She should try to get some rest, but there was something uneasy in her stomach that was keeping her up. Pushing it away as the sound of the engines and the slight shaking of the cabin, she stared out the window. Dark clouds, a smooth sea, a silent moon.

The sun had started to warm the cabin when Ace woke up, starting slightly. They hadn’t meant to fall asleep, if only to annoy Kole all night long… Ace looked over at Kole, who now had bags under her eyes and was staring blankly at the seat in front of her. Ace yawned and asked, ”What’s wrong? Couldn’t sleep?” Kole stared back at them with dull eyes, and pointed to the back of her seat as a child behind her kicked her chair with surprising force. Ace was initially guilty, as they could have switched seats with Kole, but they could only laugh watching Kole sway back and forth to the screams and happy cries of the child sitting behind her. “I fucking hate children,” Kole deadpanned as Ace cackled silently from their seat.

They chatted as the pilot announced their descent, proudly stating that they were 30 minutes early, although it was hard to hear through the static of the microphone. The weather was pleasant and sunny, perfect for individuals from a mostly tropical country. They began packing up their clothing and electronics as their ears popped with the pressure.

They sat in their seat for another 20 minutes, waiting for the final descent to the airport. Kole looked out of the window, marveling at the city beneath them and the structures that reached up into the sky. Ace pushed her out of the way as they both pushed their noses against the glass, their eyes taking in the skyline and landscape.

Another hour later, they were starting to get uneasy. Ace had rightfully stated that descents normally didn’t take this long, and the other passengers were beginning to get anxious. They were now almost an hour late for their flight, and they were beginning to twitch in their seats (especially since the child behind Kole didn’t seem to be calming down).

Almost 2 hours after the initial announcement of descent, the pilot addressed the passengers on the intercom: _Hello ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay but we are having trouble contacting airport control. Please standby while we attempt a landing on an empty strip. Thank you for your patience_. 

Kole looked, eyebrows raised at Ace as she started shaking. Ace shrugged, offering little consolation for their friend. They had never been in a situation like this before. The confused looks around the cabin only confirmed their suspicions as a nervous atmosphere developed. The child behind Kole stopped kicking her chair, instead opting to bother their parents sitting next to them.

After a nervous wait, the pilot managed to land the plane with little turbulence, and the passengers heaved a sigh of relief as they began to look for their things and turn on their phones, despite the seatbelt sign still shining its orange light.

Ace looked around at the window as Kole reached for her phone: no people were milling about the tarmac, and there was no movement of buses or luggage trains. The blue sky contrasted starkly with the gray buildings, and the plane moved slowly through the steel environment. Ace shivered. This wasn’t normal.

The calm before the storm.


	4. Quiet... (Tiyeds)

**TW: blood, gore, death**

Staring out through the cracked screen, the phone let out a slight vibrate as it flashed the same words: “ _no signal…_ ”

Frustrated, Tiyeds shoved the phone back into her pocket, holding the power button to shut it off and save its battery. She hadn’t been able to contact anyone, much less emergency services, for several days.

She shifted her tan backpack on her shoulders, the contents swinging with the movement. Although she was used to carrying heavy books around all day, the constant pressure on her shoulders was starting to chafe. Hooking her thumbs underneath the straps, she walked carefully down the middle of the street.

Despite her carefree demeanor, Tiyeds was on high-alert. She had an array of knives she kept in easy reach for immediate threats, and her crowbar peeked out of the top of her bag. She winced as she stepped on a piece of shattered glass, crushing beneath the soles of her shoes and creating a small popping noise.

The street stood still, and the wind blew a piece of paper into the gutter. Tiyeds barely breathed as she froze mid-step, listening for anyone, or anything. The taste of death lingered in the air, but Tiyeds barely noticed it anymore. 

A tense two minutes passed as Tiyeds stood still in the middle of the street. Eventually, when she was sure that nothing was around, she slowly put her boot down, continuing down the street. She had checked this area two days ago, but it was a good idea to remain careful, especially in a place with so many buildings.

She glanced at the strip mall to her right, the abandoned parking lot filled with cars and shopping carts that had been thrown astrew throughout the area. As many people had rushed to grocery stores to gather supplies, they had unwittingly flooded the stores, leading to backups and congestion - a combination bound to result in pain and death when combined with zombies. She closed her eyes, silently wishing those who had fallen well. Taking a deep breath, she approached one of the abandoned clothing stores. The grocery stores were filled with a number of obstacles and dead ends, in addition to the occasional zombie visitor. Clothing stores, although not filled with food, often had drinks and snacks that were easy to carry and store. 

Tiyeds slowed down as she approached the store, peering closely through the windows for any sign of movement. Wiping away at the dirt covering the door, the sign showed a cheery “We’re open!” Tiyeds mumbled as she pushed her way in, “don’t mind if I do…”

She kept along the walls of the store, limiting the chances that she could be surprised by a zombie or unsavory party. Quickly moving to the registers, she began looking through the snacks, grabbing a few packets of chips and jerky. Opening the drinks fridge, Tiyeds grabbed two bottles of water, hesitated, and then grabbed one of the energy drinks, shoving everything into her backpack and using the clothes around her to dampen any sounds they might make.

Creeping slowly into the remainder of the store, Tiyeds passed a figure laying on the ground. The flesh had been torn off the face in big chunks leaving gaping holes in their cheeks and forehead. The tattered remains of clothes, bloody and ragged, clung to the decimated body. There didn’t seem to be a left arm from the elbow down, just a bloody jagged end where the arm was torn off. The tibia bone in their right leg had an obvious compound fracture that probably led to their death. They had clearly been beset by a horde of zombies. Ignoring the pieces of intestine and dry blood splatters strewn around the corpse, Tiyeds eyes were drawn to the figure’s chest cavity, which was entirely empty, save for the broken remains of ribs at the edges of the wound forced open by the undead to gain access to the precious organs underneath.

Tiyeds stood, staring at the corpse when her head snapped up. A dead body meant that it was dangerous, and she needed to leave. Now. Tiyeds stood up and made her way to the front of the store, keeping close to the walls and watching where she stepped. Although zombies are the most prominent and lethal danger, they are not the only threat in this new world, and Tiyeds was well aware. Stepping out into the sun, Tiyeds shielded her eyes from the sun as she stared across the cars.

She turned around, giving one last glance into the store, when she caught a glimpse of movement in the glass. Realizing it was a reflection, Tiyeds turned immediately, knife in hand, to see a figure dashing around the corner of the brick building at the end of the mall.

Tiyeds hesitated, thinking about the possibility of a trap, but started chasing the figure. She knew it wasn’t a zombie because zombies didn’t, couldn’t, move that fast, and she hadn’t seen another person in several days. Someone else. A survivor.

She needed to know if she could make a friend.


	5. Smoke Signals (Kor)

**TW: cursing, weapons**

Zii woke up, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms out to either side. His hands hit something hard, and he jerked away, almost falling off of his branch. Zii’s eyes flew open, and he jolted upright, hands scrambling for the branches around him.

After a few seconds of panicking and wobbling back and forth in the tree, Zii regained his balance, heaving a sigh of relief. He looked over to Kor, who was sitting still, watching the trees and listening. Annoyed Kor hadn’t noticed that he had barely avoided falling out of a tree, Zii moved to poke him, but realized that Kor wasn't sitting idly.

Kor had broken a long, straight branch off of the oak and, throughout the night, fashioned it into a menacing point with his pocket knife. He was now polishing the sides of the staff, making sure there were no holes and covering up any abrasions that he might develop holding it.

Zii whistled softly as Kor’s eyes snapped up. “Didn’t sleep well?” Zii mumbled, yawning again as he wiggled closer along his branch. 

“You know it,” Kor responded as he put his pocket knife away. He held his weapon with two hands, testing its balance. His eyes narrowed as he gave it an experimental swing, followed by a quick stabbing motion.

Zii mumbled in appreciation as he stretched his legs. He had forgotten that they had slept in a tree, and his spine was numb from the contact. Groaning, he opened an eye as Kor handed him a granola bar with a smirk on his face. Scoffing, he ruffled Kor’s brown hair and leaned against the trunk, opening the rapper and munching on the dry bar. 

The sun had just risen, painting the trees in gold and yellow. Birds had begun to rise, chirping and flying around without a care. Kor relished the silence, although it was rudely interrupted by Zii’s loud chewing.

Kor didn’t sleep well. Even before they had to flee, he rarely slept through the entire night and, if he did, he could never do it consistently. Well, at least in a situation like this, he could keep watch throughout the night. 

Kor looked down at his spear. He always had loved spears and staffs, not only because he could use them and not mortally injure people, but because they were ranged, and provided a useful distance between him and the person he was fighting. He twirled his spear, attaching it to a belt he slung across his chest. He could easily take it out if he needed to.

He looked over at Zii, who was quickly consuming the entire granola bar. Sighing, he realized he should probably eat as well. Taking out another granola bar, they both sat on the oak as the forest woke up.

About 15 minutes later, after some intense complaining from Zii, both teens descended from the branches and continued their path away from the city. They both knew that Canadian winters were harsh and unforgiving, but there was little choice when the alternative was the highly populated area around the Great Lakes. Zii was familiar with one of the natural parks, and they would be able to navigate the area and find a place to set up camp before the winter.

Before they had left, Kor had handed Zii the pocket knife. Zii had given him a wicked grin as he twirled the knife with a precision that made Kor blink in surprise. Hopefully no one would try and bother them if they had weapons.

Kor marched forwards as Zii strolled along besides him, whistling a tune they had learned in grade school. 

“Dude, shut up. The zombies might hear you,” Kor hissed at Zii.

“Well, at least I’ll be popular then,” Zii retorted with a frown. Kor crossed his arms as Zii stopped whistling, grinning at his friend. They continued walking in silence, the only sounds being the crunch of brush beneath their feet and the whistling of birds as they passed.

Kor noticed when Zii began to slow down, turning around to look at him. Zii squinted, holding his hand over his eyes. “Is that smoke?” he asked, pointing to a column of dark gray and white rising in the distance. Kor sniffed, smelling a tinge of wood smoke, like the type he would smell on winter evenings.

“It certainly smells like it,” Kor agreed, putting his hand on his hip and staring in that direction. The smoke was over a small hill, and they could easily walk there in under an hour. 

“Do you want to check it out? Could be dangerous,” Kor asked, turning to look at Zii.

Zii smiled quickly, “I live for danger.” He started walking towards the smoke, and Kor jogged a little to catch up. Despite their weapons and confidence, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous at the thought of seeing other survivors, especially given the fact that they were both teenagers. People rarely took them seriously when they went about their normal lives, and Kor doubted that would change much now.

They chatted about not having to go to school and the different ways they could make their favorite foods with the limited supplies they had as they approached the column of smoke. They quieted as they neared the top of the hill, dropping close to the ground to avoid detection. As they crawled to the top of the hill, they peeked over, seeing the camp being set up below them.

Groups of heavily armed men wearing black athletic clothes were walking around the perimeter of the camp, which was protected with a combination of wooden planks from downed trees and barbed wire. The inside of the fence had been flattened, making way for the several red and black tents that had been set up within the boundaries. Kor noticed that there were several dogs that were also loose around the grounds, sniffing and sitting at various entrances and gaps in the wall. A cabin had been built in the middle of the camp, and its chimney had a line of gray smoke coming out of it.

“Hooooly shit,” Zii muttered as the two took in the heavily armed group occupying the camp.

* * *

A dark figure sat inside the cabin with his feet propped up on his desk. He twirled a knife in his hand as a group of men came in to report. He let out a slight grin.

The game was afoot.


	6. dudududu (Stella)

**TW: blood, gore, injury**

Stella and Carly ran down the street, glancing over their shoulder as more zombies joined the chase. Their frantic eyes scanned the silent street for danger, their strained breathing and pounding shoes as the counters to the moaning and shuffling of the undead. 

Turning a corner, they passed aisles of carefully groomed lawns with towering trees and picket fences. Carly barely had the energy to turn and look at the houses of the people she had known for most of her life, feet thumping dully on the ground. The clouds only emphasized the dark red stains on the grass, the bodies lying motionless in their driveways, and the dull shine of the many cars abandoned in the middle of the road. The agony of death and guilt of surviving stung Carly in the chest, making her breath hitch. She stumbled and quickly righted herself, gasping as she continued to run besides Stella.

Only a few minutes later, Stella was beginning to get tired. She had been on her feet for hours, and despite her shoes, her hands and arms were still burning from sliding down the building to reach Carly. Looking over at Carly, she wasn’t faring much better. Her brown hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat, and her pace was beginning to slow. The slight breeze was doing little to cool them down, and they couldn’t afford to stop.

_ Not good not good not good not good _ , Stella thought frantically. They needed to find a place to hide for the night, or a faster and easier way to get out of the city. Stella’s eyes scanned the street, jumping over the red and gray that seemed to dominate the landscape. She looked over to Carly again, nodding at the cars on the side of the road and trying to imply that they needed to find a faster way to move than running.

Passing through an intersection that still had smoking cars, they peeked down the main road to see a mob of zombies loitering in the middle of the cars, searching for any survivors who may have survived the traffic and rushed to escape. They picked up the pace silently, jumping over the crosswalk and avoiding the attention of those dead eyes.

Stella took a deep breath, readying herself for another few minutes of running, when she spotted a rack of bikes next to a car. Evidently, the family had tried to escape, trying to pack their bikes onto their car when they had been interrupted. Stella poked Carly, and they slowed to a stop, both huffing and leaning over their knees. They hadn’t seen any zombies while approaching the house, and they were confident that the family had moved elsewhere.

Stella pointed silently at the bikes, and Carly nodded back with tired eyes. They had no desire to speak and waste their energy when they could just point and grunt to get the point across. Following a minute of recovering and shaking out their legs and feet, they slowly began moving towards the bikes. Carly went first, grabbing a blue bike with a gray body. She lifted it out of the pile, clanging it against the other bikes and the side of the car. Stella winced as she pulled it out triumphantly, setting it down quietly on the road.

Stella decided to pick a green bike with shiny gold handles. Also banging the car and the remaining bikes, she carried the bike to the road, where she motioned Carly to get on. Bikes are a much faster method of transportation than on foot, and they are quieter than cars and other gas-powered means of moving around.

Stella nodded at Carly, who grinned mischievously and pointed at her head, which had a glaring lack of a helmet. Stella snickered, and both of them mounted their bikes. Although they had done their best to avoid making noise, metal clanging is surprisingly loud, and zombies from the main road had started to appear around the corner, their gray limbs only matching the gray streets and misty sky.

They began pedaling through the streets, the gray scenery passing them in a blur. Although they were looking around for any signs of movement or survivors, Stella and Carly see nothing but lanky individuals standing still, staring blankly at them as they pass.

Stella’s hands stung as she clung tightly to the handles of the bike, her lacerations only leaking more blood with the movement. Biting her lip, she knew that they would need to find a place to stop so she could clean her hands and wrists. Unfortunately, they were still in the middle of the residential neighborhood, and had at least an hour to go before being able to stop.

Stella looked over at Carly, who was grimly observing the homes, occasionally looking away when they passed certain homes. She knew that both of them had lost everyone here. 

_ She stood in the gym as her class’ dodgeball game stopped suddenly as a stream of screaming students lunged through the doors. Stella backed away, still holding a ball in her hands, as the students passed by the class, some friends pulling others with them. Stella turned to watch the group run out of the gym, but quickly shifted as she heard someone slam against the doors. Confused, her gym teacher moved to open the door, but only screamed and fell over as she was tackled by another student. As the student began biting her teacher’s neck, Stella was startled that she recognized her. But she looked so different, gray skin and rabid teeth. Backing away, Stella ran out of the gym as more students stumbled through the open door, some falling on the teacher and others walking towards the remaining students. Stella slammed the door- _

Stella pushed her memories away, they wouldn’t help her now. She needed to get north to find Kor and the rest of her family. Carly didn’t have anyone left, and her entire family lived in North Carolina. If they moved north, they would be able to find other pockets of survivors and potentially reunite with Stella’s family, if they had survived. There was nothing for them here. Only guilt, sadness, and danger.

Stella and Carly turned at the next street, rushing past the gray figures on the lawn as the clouds began to burn away in the gentle wind. A breeze blew in their face as they began to bike North, the sun shining brightly over them.


	7. Concrete Jungle (Ace)

**TW: blood, injury, cursing**

Ace’s leg bounced up and down on the ground as they sat besides Kole in their airplane seat. Their hands itched for their tablet and stylus, which were stowed away securely in their bag in the cramped overhead compartments; annoyingly, the bright orange seatbelt sign still buzzed with authority above the seats, and they couldn’t get up or else they'd be immediately told to sit back down. Leaning forward to look out of the window, there were no other planes or transit cars moving around on the tarmac, and nervous energy had begun to spread throughout the cabin. The tension hung thick like a fog over their heads, and it looked like it won't be leaving for a little while.

Kole poked Ace in the cheek as she stretched her arms, letting out her breath as she felt her neck made an extremely satisfying pop. She was getting over the flight, and had relaxed a little, moving her fingers around and stretching as much as she could in her seat. Her spine was starting to hurt from sitting straight and slouching, and her eyes burned from staying awake all night. But she was on edge, despite never being in this situation before. When they had departed from the airport before, there was a bustle of activity, almost a frantic activity as the planes departed and the workers rushed to get each plane refueled and off of the ground as soon as possible. And yet, she knew that something was wrong, especially when checking on the tense, tight-lipped smiles of the flight attendants. Something wrong is definitely going on outside the plane.

People in the cabin were getting anxious, looking at each other and talking in soft voices to their seat neighbors. Suddenly, Rae poked their head between the seats in front of Kole and Ace, surprising both of them and causing them to jump, Ace’s arm jabbing Kole’s back.

Rae snickered as Kole slapped Ace’s hand away, glaring and muttering  _ fucking twat _ . Rae was wearing their mask, not because they were sick, but because they didn’t like people recognizing them when they walked around. They didn’t like to think that they were famous, but it was hard to deny the plethora of prominent artists that they hung out with. Despite these precautions, the calm lavender purple and smile plastered on the front of the cloth did nothing to mask their trademark style.

Ace looked forward, glancing at Rae and grinning. They had been friends for a while, and often traded color theory advice between classes. “What’s poppin' Rae?” Ace asked while Kole reached for a bottle of water in her bag, not bothering to join in the conversation.

“Nothing much… Do you two know what’s going on?” Rae asked softly, trying not to bother the two students sitting next to him. He shifted uncomfortably in the hard seat, his hands fidgeting with his thin jacket. Looking anxiously out of the window, Rae’s eyes flickered with worry, not only for himself, but for his friends on the plane and his family at home, who would be concerned if the plane didn’t confirm its landing.

Ace pursed their lips, looking at Rae. It was no use being optimistic; they all knew that something bad was going on, there was no hiding that fact. “I don’t really know. Have you talked to Mr. Davidson about it? Does he know what’s going on?” Ace shrugged, eyebrows furrowing as they thought about various situations that would delay the airplane from landing  _ and _ disembarking.

Kole's breathing went rigid and short in quickly, confusion and distress flared visibly on her face as she anxiously tapped Ace on the shoulder, “I… may have seen something at the airport…” she mumbled, looking down at the armrest between their seats and began to subtly scratch the leather-like plastic covering the chairs from nervousness.

Rae and Ace both leaned closer, both curious and hoping to keep their conversation private. Kole looked away, wrinkling her water bottle in her hands and thinking back to the news and announcements at the airport. “Something’s going on internationally. Most European countries have locked down their borders, restricted travel, and instituted a media blackout. It’s the same story with countries throughout mainland Asia.”

The air turned cold as she continued: “I haven’t been able to contact friends and family in those continents for the last few days, and it doesn’t seem like whatever’s happening is planned, since planes and boats were still able to leave for a few hours following the pending lockdowns. I… think this may be related.”

Rae took out their phone and began tapping quickly as Ace bit their lip, thinking. It was true, it had been a few days since they had heard from their friends in Europe and Asia, and a shorter period of time for those in North America. Taking a deep, relaxing breath, Ace shook out their shoulders. There wasn’t much they could do about it now. Their present problem was getting out of the damn plane.

Rae’s phone beeped and started buzzing as they turned on their cellular data and began checking various social media sites. Twitter, Discord, Instagram, YouTube - no one had information on any situations spreading throughout the world. In fact, very few people had said anything recently, most of them from the Philippines and Australia. Rae tapped on their knee thoughtfully, contemplating what they should do, when Mr. Davidson stood up and walked to the front of the plane.

The entire room shushed as he pushed up his glasses on his nose and briskly moved past students and travelers, intent on asking the captain and flight attendants about the situation. As he disappeared through the curtain separating the cabin from the bathrooms, Ace nudged Kole to get her attention.

“Hey, can I have those pretzels if you’re not going to have them?”

Kole looked down at the pretzels that she had been squeezing for the last 4 hours. “Sure, knock yourself out.”

Ace took the bag of sodium-filled treats with a grin, their good mood slowly fading as they opened up the package. Ace turned to Kole. “What do we do if they don’t let us off soon? They can’t keep us here forever.”

“Mr. Davidson is talking to them. I’m sure that he’ll be able to reach an agreement with them.”

They both immediately stopped what they were doing when they heard shouting from the front of the plane. The angry voices immediately quelled all conversation in the cabin, and the small child who had been sitting behind Kole began to cry.

Kole pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed her tired eyes, wondering if she could take another hour of dealing with children in such a small space. Just as she was getting ready to take a sip of lukewarm mineral water, Mr. Davidson walked back down the aisle, his face red with anger and glasses askew. As he sat down, the students around him began to ask questions when they were all interrupted by an announcement from the captain.

_ My apologies to all of our passengers about the delay. We have been having trouble reaching traffic control, and there seems to be no response from the ground crew about finding a gate to doc at. In light of this situation, we have decided to disembark from the plane manually, through the stairs at the front of the plane. Please remain seated until your row is called, when you may get up and grab your bags to leave the plane. _

Everyone began chattering excitedly and grabbing their things, despite the requests of the pilot. Ace immediately jumped out of their seat, opening the overhead compartment and grabbing their bags. They threw their bag at Kole, who caught it and watched carefully to make sure there were no additional incoming projectiles. Ace shouted to Rae, who also caught his bag as it was thrown over the heads of the students next to them. Giving a thumbs up, Ace climbed back into their seat, grinning hugely as they began to eat the crushed up pretzels from earlier.

Slowly but surely, all of the passengers began to shuffle down the aisle. Though the children were bouncing off of the seats, walls, and windows, the adults seemed to be utterly drained, rarely talking and only trying to get off of the plane. Finally, Rae’s row was called, and he gave Ace and Kole a wave as he walked briskly down the aisle.

Kole and Ace began to pack up their stuff, Ace grabbing all of Kole’s food and shoving it in her backpack, to Kole’s dismay and disgust. 

“Hey, I’m not going to waste good food because  _ you _ are too picky.”

Kole shrugged, and slung her bag over her shoulder as they both walked between the rows of seats, into the chilly Vancouver air. Even wearing a jacket, Kole shivered. It wasn’t common for temperatures to drop below 60℉ (15.6℃) in the Philippines, and they had adjusted to the warm and humid weather. Zipping her jacket up further and sticking her hands in her pockets, Kole made her way towards Rae, who was also rubbing their hands together on the tarmac. 

Breath clouding in the air, Ace and Kole approached Rae, dropping their bags next to Rae’s bright backpack. Although they weren’t particularly heavy, any weights on the shoulders cost unnecessary energy to carry, and it was easier to just set them down and wait.

Ace cheerfully surveyed the airport, taking in the modern architecture and sloping glass walls of the terminal. The sheer size of the structure was impressive, and they only were more amazed with the more details they noticed: small coffee shops distributed carefully among the gates, decorative art pieces hanging from the ceiling, and murals on the walls. Staring through the dark glass, Ace was completely enthralled by this new environment.

Kole and Rae chatted quietly in the cold, complaining about the temperature and lamenting that they hadn’t brought heavier clothing. As more people departed from the plane, they heard a distant whining sound coming from above the clouds. Thinking it was another plane, everyone turned to look.

Ace, Kole, and Rae scanned the sky for any signs of movement or another plane, and about 2 minutes later, they got their wish, although not in the way that they had hoped.

A plane careened down through the clouds, trailing a stream of thick black smoke from one of its engines. The blue paint of its exterior only accentuated the red and orange licks of fire working their way up the side of the plane. Gasping, the three students realized that they needed to get out of the way, fast.

The roaring of the engines became unbearably loud as Rae, Kole, and Ace grabbed their bags, making a break towards the airport terminal. The closer they were to the structure, the more likely the plane would avoid them, preferring to crash in a place with fewer people. The group of passengers began screaming, but their terror was washed out by the deafening cries of the falling airplane.

Everyone tripped as the ground shook, the plane careening wildly and crashing with a loud bang into the ground. The sound of screeching metal filled the air as the wings scraped the ground, gouging deep lines into the dark earth. Covering their ears, Ace turned to watch as the plane came to a stop only a few hundred meters from where their plane had stopped.

Catching their breath, the group watched as flames began to engulf the plane, several frantically trying to reach emergency services but getting no signal on their phones. Kole, Rae, and Ace watched in horror as a small explosion destroyed the cockpit of the aircraft, sending a burst of flames into the air. Murmuring, the group continued staring at the blue and crimson that stood out so clearly in the dull landscape.

Suddenly, Rae caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of their eye. Someone had emerged from the plane. Yelling to Ace and Kole, they all turned to watch a tall figure stagger out of the plane wreckage carrying two smoking bags. Blackened with ash and soot from the fires and darkened with blood from their injuries, they could only watch in horror as the survivor collapsed onto the pavement, lying still in front of the burning shadows of the aircraft.

Ace immediately dropped their bag, started running towards the burning remains of the plane.  _ What the  _ **_hell_ ** _ was going on? _

* * *

**INTERLUDE**

**TW: gore**

A figure stepped out of the building, slowly wiping thick black blood off of their steel blade until it shone in the waning moon. Drifting out into the clearing, their black clothing blended with the shadows of the grass around them. Turning to look back into the building, their dark mask glinted maliciously at the scent of death slowly emanating from inside.

Stepping over the decaying bodies of victims, they tapped their mask, activating a dull green glow from their goggles. Surveying the landscape, they sighed heavily as a small animal stalked out from around a tree. Crouching, four eyes appeared and began moving silently towards the figure, carefully avoiding the fallen littering the ground.

The figure crouched down, petting the two cats that approached. One gray and one black, they both meowed loudly for attention, their green and yellow eyes mirrored in the shadow’s green goggles. Picking the gray cat up and waiting for the black shadow to follow, the figure walked back behind the trees, dropping both into an open box filled with pillows and blankets. It hadn’t been the first time that the figure had to cull a few overzealous intruders they found chasing the cats, or other small animals.

The figure straightened slowly, turning slowly to take in their surroundings, the green tint coloring the sickly landscape. Tapping their mask again and the light fading from their eyes, they looked towards the slowly shrinking moon.

There would be no more blood tonight.


	8. Friend (Tiyeds)

**TW: gore, weapons (guns), injury**

Tiyeds wrapped her hands around the bottom straps of her backpack as she ran, slightly dampening its painful thudding against her back. Pulling it against her back, she turned around the store at the end of the strip mall, spying a bright yellow jacket whipping around another corner, a green scarf trailing around behind them.

Tiyeds huffed, increasing her pace to catch up with the figure. There was a pretty high probability that she was running head-first into a trap, a way to lure survivors into a dead-end where they could be robbed of their supplies. Tiyeds had almost gotten caught a few days prior, only getting out due to some quick thinking and luck. 

Taking a deep breath, Tiyeds continued chasing the figure, making sure to avoid broken glass on the ground that could make noise and the reeking corpses of both victims and depatched zombies. You get used to the smell after a while. The normally clear and crisp air of her city had been overtaken by a thick cloying fog. She never wanted to know what death smelled like, but no one who was still alive had that choice.

She saw the figure heading down a small street, and recognized that she could take a shortcut through a store to cut them off. Even though she hadn’t cleared the small coffee shop yet, she was confident that if she moved fast enough she wouldn’t be in danger.

Dropping her shoulder, she braced as she rammed through the glass door of the shop, the shattering glass dropping around her as she stepped through. Taking a moment to shake off the impact and process the blinding pain in her shoulder, Tiyeds turned and started sprinting around the small table, vaulting over the counter and landing in front of the door to the back room.

Taking a deep breath, she threw the door open and jumped through the entrance. She turned left to make her way around the supply shelves, coming face to face with a zombie. Gasping, she immediately backed out of range, but was still accosted with its stink and sunken eyes. It ground its rotting teeth together, visible through the gaping holes throughout its cheeks and neck. As it let out a moan and staggered closer, Tiyeds shook off her surprise and staggered around the shelf, slamming herself through the door before it could get any closer.

Leaving the rotting face behind, Tiyeds stepped out into the street to see the figure staring at the wall at the end of the alley with no way out. 

Walking to the middle of the street, Tiyeds watched as the figure turned around. They were around the same height, but the figure was carrying a small teal satchel across their torso. Their orange shorts and boots contrasted severely with their luminous jacket and dark scarf, which were connected with, oddly, a pair of teal suspenders. Tiyeds noticed a small owl pendant below their short brown hair, slowly taking in their unusual appearance.

“Who are you?” Tiyeds shouted loudly, the echoes bouncing off of the rough brick walls.

The figure seemed stressed, panicking at the lack of available escape routes. But Tiyeds’ heart stopped as they brought out a handgun and shakily pointed it at her, green eyes distressed. “St- STAY AWAY!”

Tiyeds took a step back, raising her hands, “Whoa, calm down dude. I’m just asking. I don’t really see anyone else around here. Just making sure you’re not part of some... group.”

His hand shook as he continued to point the gun at Tiyeds. “I’M NOT PART OF A GROUP OKAY? NOT ANYMORE. NOW LET ME LEAVE, AND I WON’T SHOOT.”

Stepping to the side of the alley, Tiyeds kept her hands visible while desperately trying to keep the conversation going. “Where are you going? You aren’t just wandering around aimlessly, are you? That’s going to get you killed.”

“I have a plan, okay? Now just get out of my way before I pull the trigger.”

“We could help each other. I have a lot of supplies that I could share. Food, water, and defenses. Please think about it, okay?” They pleaded, eyes desperate as they looked down at their satchel, and back at Tiyeds, the hand holding their gun growing steady as they stared down Tiyeds.

“I don’t need handouts,” he muttered, slowly lowering his weapon, tucking it away in his back pocket.

Tiyeds let out a shaky breath as she took a few steps towards the individual. He looked young, a similar age to herself. Holding out a hand, she raised an eyebrow. 

“Truce?”

“Truce.”


	9. Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill

**TW: guns, violence, blood, injury, cursing**

Kor whistled softly as they sat on the hill overlooking the camp. They had been watching for at least an hour, and they were starting to get hungry.

Kor nudged Zii, and crunched over the yellow and brown leaves to a log on the opposite side of the hill, so they were hidden from view. Zii got up and stretched, letting out a yawn as his back cracked in more places than seemed healthy. Slouching back over, he slumped over to the log, gratefully taking Kor’s outstretched bag of chips. Opening them, Zii munched happily as Kor talked about their observations.

“Okay okay. So, we know that there are at least 30 people there, most of them carrying weapons and wearing body armor. Given the number of tents, I’m sure that there’s not that many more people than those who we saw just walking around.”

Kor tapped on his forehead with a short stick, mimicking a habit that he picked up while drawing with a stylus. Zii nodded, staring off into the distance and finishing off his bag of chips. Grabbing a bottle of water, Zii hummed thoughtfully.

“Why do you think they’re here? I find it hard to believe that they’re here for some good reason like helping survivors. Also, why would they need that kind of defense? There’s no zombies out here yet.”

“I don’t know… that’s the hard part. My guess is that they’re some sort of government organization that was established as a last-resort or emergency establishment after the outbreak?”

Zii shrugged, taking a gulp of water and spilling a little on the ground. A bird trilled in the distance as he put the bottle back in Kor’s bag, dueting the soft rustling of the leaves above them. Taking a deep breath, he was surprised to smell the slight scent of smoke and gasoline from the camp wafting over the hill. Standing back up, he rubbed his back, turning around and taking in the scenery.

Kor sighed and threw the stick away, but stopped as he saw a flash of movement in the side of his vision. Turning quickly, he saw two black figures running over the hill, guns raised and pointing at them. “ZII,” Kor yelled as his friend turned and saw the approaching figures. Eyes widening, he barely reacted as Kor rushed to pick up his bag and put it on his back.

“ZII GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!” Kor yelled, grabbing his spear and turning his back on Zii, holding it in front of him menacingly in an attempt to buy time.

Zii backed away, turning and nearly tripping over a forgotten tree stump as he slid down the hill, grabbing his bag and dropping the remains of his long-forgotten chip bag in the dirt.

Turning around quickly, Kor snarled at the two dark figures, who were close enough for him to notice in their tactical slings across their chests and observe their guns, both of which had one round loaded and pointing at him. Their mouths were set in hard lines as a dark visor covered their eyes, reflecting Kor and the tranquil scenery behind him. He gripped his staff tighter, hoping that he would be able to distract at least a little with the time that he had.

He was just about to charge when he saw another “soldier” rush past him to his left, chasing after Zii down the hill. “NO,” he gasped, turning around to throw his staff like a spear when he was tackled from behind by one of the two figures.

Kor grunted as he hit the ground hard and dropped his staff, which rolled away and down the hill. After twisting and pushing against the ground to release the soldier’s hold, he stopped solid when he felt the cold hard barrel of a gun against his temple. “Shut UP and  _ listen _ kid. We’re not gonna hurt you or your friend if you just fucking SIT STILL.”

Kor carefully pushed his hands out to the side, leaving himself prone on the ground. He knew that, if he needed to, he could probably overpower the soldier; unfortunately, the second stranger was probably still pointing the gun at him, and it was too risky to try and escape when being called.

The soldier on Kor’s back huffed as they tied Kor’s hands together behind his back with black zip ties, tightening them roughly. His shoulders shifted awkwardly as he tried to change positions, and he hissed as he felt the stranger’s knee dig into his back, pushing on the tender spot in between his shoulders. Seething, Kor began to shake as he barely controlled his anger.

Kor didn’t see Zii anymore, and silently sighed in relief. He had gotten away, at least. Better than both of them being in the same position.

The soldier’s knee dug in deeper into his back, and Kor winced, grunting in agony. He looked up, eyes squinting in pain, to see Zii walking out from behind the trees with the soldier that he had seen earlier.

As Zii approached with the soldier in tow, Kor cursed under his breath. He wasn’t really walking, more limping as one of his arms dangled uselessly by his side. Breathing heavily, Zii stumbled as he started up the hill, only to be kicked in the leg by the soldier, who yelled something as Zii staggered to the side, regaining his balance. He wiped away the crimson dripping from his nose with the back of his right hand, smearing it with the red that was already dripping down from a hole in the left arm of his hoodie. 

Kor fumed as Zii was forced to kneel next to him and his hands were both violently forced behind his back, provoking a yell of pain. The soldier frowned, hitting Zii in the back of the head with the back of the gun. Zii grunted, falling over and tumbling over next to Kor.

They looked at each other, silently communicating like they often did. Kor raised an eyebrow.

_ Are you okay? _

_ Yeah, don’t worry about me. What happened? Are you hurt? _

_ I’m fine. How the hell did he catch you? _

_ She. Turns out that tripping when you’re running away isn’t something that just happens in horror movies. _

_ Holy shit. _

_ What’s going on? _

_ I have no idea. _

The soldier holding the gun answered a voice speaking on their walkie talkie in a low voice, and both Kor and Zii were told to get to their feet. Kor let in a huge breath as the knee was removed from his back, slowly getting to his knees and standing up straight. 

Zii wasn’t so lucky. He could barely turn over, much less get up. He tried to get to his knees, but fell over in the process, knocking into Kor and causing him to stumble. A soldier quickly grabbed Zii’s left arm, hauling him up to his feet, where he swayed dangerously, swaying at the contact. Kor moved closer to Zii, hoping to support him with his shoulder, but was pulled away roughly and pushed towards the camp.

Glaring at the soldier in front of him, Kor reluctantly followed them as he was prodded from behind with a gun. The other soldier walked next to Zii, keeping him upright and conscious, especially important given the uneven ground and descent to the tents.

About 10 minutes later, they reluctantly walked between the metal posts guarding one of the two entrances to the camp, the barking of the dogs and movement of crates of supplies providing a stark contrast to the stillness and quiet of the forest surrounding it. A scent of gasoline and tarp filled the air as dust swirled around, making Kor sneeze and resulting in a jab from the soldier holding his wrists.

Looking over at Zii, Kor furrowed his eyebrows, worried. His eyes were mostly closed, and his nose was still bleeding, dropping a crimson trail behind him in the dust. Shuffling through the dirt, his bright shoes were now dull and brown and his pants were stained with brown and mahogany. Kor mulled over his thoughts in his mind, rapidly considering all of the different things that could happen to them. He came to the grim conclusion that they needed help, not only because they wouldn’t be able to find a way out by themselves, but because Zii needed help to stand. They would need medical care, fast. Turning back forward, Kor’s gaze hardened. These people would  _ pay _ . 

Weaving in between tents, they were stopped at the front of the cabin that they had seen earlier. The wooden slabs were hastily put together and were evidently left over from the remains of a much older house combined with new planks that were recently cut down: an amalgamation that evidently served the purposes of the camp. The soldier tugged on Kor’s wrists as they went inside, giving him a warning to be quiet.

Kor was surprised by the brush of cool air against his hair as he stepped over the threshold. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cabin, he scanned the walls, which were covered in maps of the surrounding area and papers with dense text scrawled all over them. At the far end of the room, a figure with a general’s hat sat at a desk looking over some papers. Their desk was a mess, papers askew, a walkie talkie spouting static, and a bottle of water balanced precariously besides the papers.

Turning around, the figure stared at the newcomers in the cabin: a dusty child and his dusty friend, who was barely conscious. Taking a closer look, he saw that the shorter one was glancing around the room quickly, taking in all of the maps and papers plastered on the walls. The other one wouldn’t be a problem. Grinning he sat down and stared at the two strangers.

Kor stopped looking around the cabin, his gaze focusing on the man sitting in front of him. His black hair hung loosely underneath his general’s cap, and it was hard to ignore the mullet trailing down his neck. He was surprisingly tall, and even when he sat down the desk looked like it was too small for him. Past his clasped hands on the desk, Kor stared into his eyes. Almost black, they stared back at him with a cold contemporation that Kor could only shudder at. The man grinned maliciously, and Kor looked away, focusing instead on Zii, who was leaning against one of the walls with his left arm, despite the pain it must have caused.

“Welcome to Camp Alnwick,” he smirked, gesturing broadly at the surrounding area. He looked down at Kor and Zii condescendingly, grinning broadly as Kor stared back with fiery hatred in his eyes.

“I’m sure it’s been an interesting journey to say the least… but I’ll make sure that you two get nice and settled.” 

He turned around as the soldiers prodded both Zii and Kor out of the cabin. On the way out, the figure called out, “Oh yeah. The name’s Ideal. Pleased to meet you.”


	10. You've Got a Friend in Me (Stella)

**TW: blood**

Stella blinked, suddenly coming back to the road in front of her, and the fact that she was still riding a bike. Disoriented, she glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings, tall trees and flat fields. Glancing next to her, she saw Carly pedalling next to her, motioning for her to stop as the sun filtered through the trees, coloring the sky orange and pink.

Slowly pressing on the brakes, she slowed down and propped her bike up on the side of the road. Rubbing her back, Stella turned around as Carly dropped her bike and dramatically fell on the ground. Stella smiled grimly and turned back around as her face twisted into a grimace of pain. Her hands were still stinging and oozing, and they hurt to look at.

_ Best time to zone out ever _ , Stella muttered as she patted her pockets with the backs of her fingers. Carly rolled over and pulled the bikes to the side of the road, patting a patch of grass down to sit on.

They were too tired to talk, the emotional and physical toll of their days hitting them like a slap to the face. Sitting down was a struggle, as Stella wobbled over to the bikes and sat down, pulling out the small dinner knife that she had smuggled from the cafeteria into her pocket. Using it to carefully cut small strands of fabric from the bottom of her shirt that was hidden under her jacket, hissing at the pressure that she was putting on her palm, causing red to seep through and cover the handle.

Carly wandered off into the brush, making sure that Stella and the bikes were in a memorable place so she could find her way back. She wanted food, but it was unlikely that she would find a steaming bowl of soup or a freshly made sandwich lying on the floor somewhere. Sighing, she started scanning the ground for small bushes or plants that looked at least somewhat edible.

After grabbing a few dandelions and a handful of wild berries that were somehow untouched on a bush, Carly was ready to make her way back to their impromptu camp by the road. It was getting later, and the light was fading, making it harder to identify the trees and places that she had passed on the way in.

Hurrying through the trees, Carly stopped short when she saw a brush of movement in the bushes next to her. After hearing a small noise, she decided to investigate, smiling when she saw the little animal that was hidden in the spiny bush.

Stella was finishing wrapping her hands and wrists in fabric as Carly came back from the forest, a purple flower behind her ear. She sat down next to Stella with a small cardboard box, grinning broadly as Stella grunted and turned around to face her.

“Stella I have something that I think you’re really going to like,” Carly gushed as she arranged the berries and flowers on the dry grass.

Stella raised an eyebrow. “Is it a jar of peanut butter? That sounds  _ really good _ right now.”

Carly scoffed and pushed the box towards Stella, putting her head in her hands and staring excitedly at Stella. Stella sighed, and opened up the cardboard box only to find…

A cute fluffy face staring back at her. Stella squealed in happiness as she saw a small white marshmallow ball laying down in the box, staring up at her with dark brown eyes. Reaching in, Stella picked the puppy up and held it in the air. It’s tongue lolled out of its mouth as it tried to lick Stella’s nose, ears perked forwards and tail swishing from side to side.

Carly giggled as Stella hugged the puppy in her arms, watching as the dog began to lick her face and wag its tail enthusiastically. The little thing had been stuck in the bush, its fur tangled around the branches and burrs in its paws. After a quick search, she had found a cardboard box and slowly reached to free the knots from the thorns.

She gave the dog a quick pat and turned to the “food” that she had gathered, frowning at the navy clouds and quickly-darkening sky. She grabbed a few twigs and some dry grass, setting it up in a small pyramid structure with some bigger pieces around it. Glancing back to Stella, who was still joyously playing with the puppy, Carly quickly brought out a pocket lighter and lit the leaves in the pile. Watching as they grew slowly, she added bigger and bigger twigs to the pile, eventually transitioning to dead tree branches and pieces of bark and logs - essentially anything that was laying around and was flammable. Tossing some dirt around the edges of the pit, she moved the bikes around and started roasting some of the greens that she found.

Stella shivered, hugging the puppy and wiggling closer to the fire. She had forgotten most of the day already, and was perfectly happy to find some food and take a nap. Setting the dog down, she fidgeted with the wraps on her wrists.

“So, Carly, what dog food have you dug up today?”

“Oh just the usual. Mud pies, pickles with chocolate and ketchup on them, and, your favorite, peanut-covered cheese bites.”

Stella wrinkled her nose as Carly poked at the fire, making sure it was warm enough. She sniffed at the charred greens that she was handed, eyes brightening a little when she noticed the berries. Chewing on one of the stems, Stella’s eyes watered: bitter. Looking over at Carly, she was having similar trouble eating the stems of the dandelions, and was instead focusing on the flowers, roots, and berries. Stella decided to do the same, and they finished the remainder of their snack in silence, basking in the flickering light as Stella snuck pieces of her food to the puppy.

The fire had burned down to embers and Carly had long since fallen asleep, the new puppy sprawled across her stomach. Stella shivered as the cold seeped through her hoodie, chilling her as she sat on the hard dry ground. The crickets chirping in the grass provided little comfort as a slight breeze caressed her hair, blowing embers into the coals.

Reaching into her jacket pocket, Stella lit a match, shakily holding it in one hand and shielding it with the other. She hummed a short tune, a solemn and familiar tune, before blowing out the match quickly, the smoke floating away with the rest of the wisps.

She clenched her hands around the charred wood, her heart aching with the pain of being truly alone. Only the loss of what could have been. What should have been.

Happy birthday.


End file.
